Greater Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life

Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Can Deep Listening Heal Our Divisions?

For bridge-builders in the U.S., the way forward is to engage deeply across lines of difference.
What to Do When Your Kid Wants to Quit

What to Do When Your Kid Wants to Quit
Diverse Films Make More Money at the Box Office

Diverse Films Make More Money at the Box Office
How to Talk With Young People About the Capitol Attacks

How to Talk With Young People About the Capitol Attacks
Who Stays Home During the Pandemic—And Who Doesn’t?

Who Stays Home During the Pandemic—And Who Doesn’t?

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Can Deep Listening Heal Our Divisions?

By Simon Greer | January 19, 2021
How to Help Students Feel a Sense of Belonging During the Pandemic

By Mary C. Murphy, Kathryn Boucher, Christine Logel | January 19, 2021
How to Talk With Young People About the Capitol Attacks

By David Schonfeld, Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, Kyle Greenwalt, Paula McAvoy, Sarah Stitzlein, Tiffany Mitchell Patterson | January 15, 2021
What to Do When Your Kid Wants to Quit

By Jane Park | January 14, 2021

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The Science of Happiness at Work
Greater Good's online course series offering research-based strategies for more satisfaction, connection, and purpose at work. CEs for health professionals & HR managers.

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Keys to Well-Being

Purpose

To psychologists, purpose is an abiding intention to achieve a long-term goal that is both personally meaningful and makes a positive mark on…
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The Top Seven “Science of Happiness” Podcast Episodes of 2020
By Haley Gray | January 11, 2021 All Purpose Articles
Connection to Humanity Quiz
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Bridging Differences

Americans are increasingly divided along social and political lines. The evidence for this polarization can be found in our most intimate…
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Can Deep Listening Heal Our Divisions?
By Simon Greer | January 19, 2021 All Bridging Differences Articles
Social Capital Quiz
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Compassion

Compassion literally means “to suffer together.” Among emotion researchers, it is defined as the feeling that arises when you are…
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Some of the Most Inspiring Moments from 2020
By Jeremy Adam Smith, Kira M. Newman | December 29, 2020 All Compassion Articles
Compassionate Love Quiz
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Gratitude

Robert Emmons, perhaps the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, argues that gratitude has two key components, which he describes…
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Your Happiness Calendar for January 2021
By Kira M. Newman | January 1, 2021 All Gratitude Articles
Gratitude Quiz
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Mindfulness

Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through…
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The Top Seven “Science of Happiness” Podcast Episodes of 2020
By Haley Gray | January 11, 2021 All Mindfulness Articles
Mindfulness Quiz
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Diversity

For the Greater Good Science Center, “diversity” refers to both an obvious fact of human life—namely, that there are many different…
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How to Help Students Feel a Sense of Belonging During the Pandemic
By Mary C. Murphy, Kathryn Boucher, Christine Logel | January 19, 2021 All Diversity Articles
Connection to Humanity Quiz
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Awe

Awe is the feeling we get in the presence of something vast that challenges our understanding of the world, like looking up at millions of…
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Are Facial Expressions the Same Around the World?
By Yasmin Anwar | January 8, 2021 All Awe Articles
Awe Quiz
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Social Connection

When researchers refer to the concept of social connection, they mean the feeling that you belong to a group and generally feel close to…
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Can Deep Listening Heal Our Divisions?
By Simon Greer | January 19, 2021 All Social Connection Articles
Social Capital Quiz
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Happiness

Most of us probably don’t believe we need a formal definition of happiness; we know it when we feel it, and we often use the term to…
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The Top Seven “Science of Happiness” Podcast Episodes of 2020
By Haley Gray | January 11, 2021 All Happiness Articles
Happiness at Work
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Forgiveness

Psychologists generally define forgiveness as a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person…
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Your Happiness Calendar for January 2021
By Kira M. Newman | January 1, 2021 All Forgiveness Articles
Forgiveness Quiz
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Empathy

The term “empathy” is used to describe a wide range of experiences. Emotion researchers generally define empathy as the ability to sense…
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Can Deep Listening Heal Our Divisions?
By Simon Greer | January 19, 2021 All Empathy Articles
Empathy Quiz
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Altruism

Altruism is when we act to promote someone else’s welfare, even at a risk or cost to ourselves. Though some believe that humans are…
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The Top Seven “Science of Happiness” Podcast Episodes of 2020
By Haley Gray | January 11, 2021 All Altruism Articles
Altruism Quiz
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Videos

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What Makes an Effective Apology

Learn the four steps to making an effective apology, with comedian Jolenta Greenberg of the By the Book podcast.

Train Your Brain to Be Kinder

Boost your kindness by sending kind thoughts to someone you love—and to someone you don't get along with—with a little guidance from…

How to Help Your Kids Understand Forgiveness

Instead of retaliating, our kids can learn to find peace by making the choice to forgive.

How to Help Your Child’s Compassion Grow

Parents can encourage their kids to practice kindness and caring toward themselves and others

What Teens Are Thankful For

A first-grade teacher, a best friend, a parent—high schoolers share their gratitude letters with their recipients.

When to Express Your Gratitude at Work

Chris Murchison—an independent organizational culture consultant, coach, and advisor—shares how gratitude can be incorporated into…

Why Awe Is Such an Important Emotion

Dacher Keltner gives an overview of the young science of awe, from how it's expressed to its benefits for health and well-being.

What is Mindfulness?

Jon Kabat-Zinn discusses what mindfulness and meditation are really about: presence of heart.

Applying Mindfulness to Workplaces

In this talk from the "Practicing Mindfulness & Compassion" conference on March 8, 2013, Magee explores how to apply contemplative practices…

Quote of the Day

“Humility helps people let go of defensiveness, take in information that challenges their political views, and see the humanity in people on the other side of the political spectrum.”

― How Humility Can Help Us Bridge Our Political Divides, by Jill Suttie

What to Do When Your Kid Wants to Quit

Diverse Films Make More Money at the Box Office

How to Talk With Young People About the Capitol Attacks

Who Stays Home During the Pandemic—And Who Doesn’t?

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The Science of Happiness at Work

Greater Good in Education

Take a Greater Good Quiz!

Connection to Humanity Quiz

Social Capital Quiz

Compassionate Love Quiz

Gratitude Quiz

Mindfulness Quiz

Connection to Humanity Quiz

Awe Quiz

Social Capital Quiz

Happiness at Work

Forgiveness Quiz

Empathy Quiz

Altruism Quiz

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The Science of Happiness Podcast

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